Rail-brace.



No. 697,40i. Patented Apr. 3, I902.

J. E. GRAHAM.

BAIL BRACE. (Application al a F b. 2Q, 1901. (No Model.)

JZ lgaagiar v Umrnn STATES ATENT ,FFICQE.

JOHN E. GRAHAM, OF BOANOKE, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE GRAHAM COMBINEDGUARD-RAIL AND FROG BRAOE COMPANY, OF ROANOKE,

VIRGINIA.

RAI L-BRAC E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,401, dated April 8,1902.

To all whom; it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia,have invented a new and useful Rail- Braee, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to rail-braces, and particularly to that classadapted for usein connection with frog-rails.

The device of the present invention is an improvement on a combinedguard-rail and frog-brace for which I obtained Letters Patent in theUnited States, dated April 3, 1900, and numbered 6%,825. The deviceembodying the improvement covered by the said Letters Patent isthoroughly efficient for the purpose designed; but its utility islimited in scope, for the reason that the rail-engaging terminals areconstructed in such manner as to be efficiently operable only inconjunction with a predetermined-sizedrail. In other words, saidterminals are adapted closely to impinge the inner side of a rail fromand including the upper surface of the base to the top surface of thetread.

The object of the present invention is to enlarge the scope ofusefulness of the brace by adapting it for use in connection with railsof different sizes without requiring anychange in the structuralarrangement of the rails.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, the same consists, generally stated,in a rail-brace having its railbase-engaging portions constructed tocoact either with a broad or a narrow base and its tread andweb-engaging portions similarly contoured. Thus where a light rail isemployed-say a sixty-pound railthe terminals of the brace will beardirectly against the webs and the under sides of the treads of therails, the bases of the rails being free from engagement with the brace,and thus a rigid and non-yielding reinforcement of the railsis effected.Where a heavy rail is employed say a hundred-pound railthe sides of thetreads and the webs will be engaged by the terminals of the brace aswell as the base, thereby positively bracing the rails against(yielding.

'ered by the patent above referred to.

Application filed'Pebrnary 28, 1901. Serial No. 49,336. (No model.)

Further and more specific advantages ac.- cruing from the device of thepresent invention will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts, thereis illustrated one form of embodiment of the invention capable ofcarrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that theelements therein exhibited may be varied or changed as to shape,proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from thespirit thereof, and in these drawings-- Figure 1 is a view in transversesection through a pair of track-rails, representing in this instancefrog-rails, showing the improved brace in side elevation and applied inoperative position to the rails. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view inperspective of one end of the brace. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailsectional View of a portion of a rail and the end portion of the brace.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates in this instance a pair offrog-rails, although they may represent ordinary track rails or guides,the character of rails employed being dependent on the application ofthe de- Vice. Y

The brace comprises an intermediate body 5, which is substantiallytriangular in crosssection and for a greater portion of its length ofless height than the distance from the upperfsurfaces of the ties to thelike surfaces of the rail-treads. Projecting laterally from the loweropposite sides of the base portion of the body are flanges 6, havingspiked notches 7 at regular intervals, as shown in Fig. 2, both of theflanges being in the same horizontal plane and providing a fiat base forthe brace, and which when spiked to the ties will positively preventlongitudinal movement of the brace from jars or vibrations. The brace ishollow throughout to avoid ex eessive Weight. The terminals 8 of thebrace are enlarged, and the particular construction now to be describedconstitutes the basis of specific improvement over the structure cov-The terminals 8 flare upwardly, and the baseflanges 6 are regularlycontinued with the flare of the terminals. The web-engaging portions 9of the terminals are rounded somewhat to conform to and snugly fitagainst the webs, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and above the terminalsare disposed solid brace-tables 10, adapted to fit under the treads ofthe rails, thereby to hold the said terminals positively against anytendency of lifting, even should they become loose by working out of theholding-spikes. Above the tables 10 the terminals of the brace areformed into guardfaces 11, which incline inwardly toward each other, andthus away from the treads of the rails, thereby to obviate anyinterference between these portions and the wheel-flanges of therolling-stock where the upper portions of the terminals project abovethe rail-treads, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, wherein the terminals S ofthe brace are shown as bearing directly against the web of the rails andagainst the under side of the tread thereof, the uppersurfaces of thebase and inner sides of the treads being free from engagement with theterminals. This disposition of the parts obtains only when a lightrailsay a sixty-pound rail is employed; but where a heavy railsay ahundred-pound railis employed it is essential that provision be madewhereby the brace may be readily adaptable thereto. To effect this, theunder sides I of the terminals are formed with recesses 9 of a lengthgreater than the width of the base from the web outward of a sixty-poundrail. Thus when the brace is associated with a heavy rail the recesseswill be entirely filled by the rail-bases, and owing to the greaterheight of the web and cross-diameter of the tread the upper portion ofthe terminals will occupy a plane approximately horizontal to that ofthe upper sides of the treads, the terminals being in partial engagementwith the web, as in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Theadaptation of the brace to rails of different sizes is all-important, asit obviates the necessity of making the braces in diflferent sizes and,as will be obvious, largely increases the field of usefulness of thedevice. The features, therefore, which define this invention over thatshown in the patent are in inclining the guard-faces 11 away from thetread in order to permit the terminals 9 to impinge the web irrespectiveof the spread of the tread and in making the recesses 9 of greaterlength than the lineal dimensions of a lightweight rail.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A rail-brace of a length to engage the webs of a pair of seatedrails, the terminals of the brace being provided with tables to engagethe under sides of the rail-treads and with guard-faces disposed atdiverging angles to the inner sides of the treads, thereby to adapt thebrace to rails having treads of different widths.

2. A rail-brace of a length to engage the webs of a pair of seatedrails, the upper portions of the terminals of the brace being providedwith tables to engage the under sides of the treads and with guard-facesdisposed at diverging angles to the inner sides of the treads, and thelower portions of the terminals being provided each with a recess of asize to include a rail-base of any standard size.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. GRAHAM.

\Vitnesses:

E. E. DOYLE, F. J. APPLEMAN.

